Long Island boys basketball: 10 things to watch this season
Petshley Louissaint of Westbury blocks the shot by Nisiah James of Uniondale during a Nassau Class AAA quarterfinal boys basketball game in Uniondale on Feb. 21. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
1. How far can Westbury’s dynamic duo take the Green Dragons?
Coach Keith Moody compared his two star players of Petshley Louissaint and Ashle Padovany to the iconic duo of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, noting their chemistry and complementary playstyles.
It speaks to how highly the coach views the pair, a powerful frontcourt tandem that should play a critical role in trying to bring Westbury its first county title since 2017.
2. Can experience bring Lynbrook to its ultimate goal?
Few teams return more players than Lynbrook, which features 12 returning players and five with at least three years of varsity experience. The Owls finished hot in 2024-25, winning seven of their last nine games before falling to West Hempstead in the quarterfinal round.
With a talented forward in Jake Prince and a 6-8 center in Aaron Malinka, keep an eye out on Lynbrook.
3. Is the third time the charm for Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK?
The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the last two years, but there’s hope for 2025-26 to be very different.
Andrew Ma and Landon Lippman return to the fold for Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, but the team also adds Long Island Lutheran Regional transfer Jordan Rabinovich. The competition is stiff in Nassau AAA, but the Hawks will look to fly past it.
4. Can Glenn make a run with its senior core?
With returning starters in Kameron Napoleon, CJ Mascia and Justin Govan, it would be wise to not overlook the Knights.
Mascia, a four-year varsity player, brings defensive grit. Napoleon can be the explosive scorer any team desires. Govan shot 44% from deep a year ago. They a trifecta of talent to watch out for in Class A.
5. Only two players remain from Elmont’s 2023-24 championship team. Can they provide a spark to the playoffs?
Senior Aiden Barnes and junior Aaron Kelly were part of Elmont’s state-winning squad. Both are strong defenders with two-way ability, which should help coach Ryan Straub run his full-court press when needed.
It’s a very different team in 2025-26. But the duo’s experience could pay dividends for a proven program that can never be counted out.
6. Youth led Riverhead to a playoff win last season. What’s next for the Blue Waves?
Riverhead returns three-year starters in senior Peter Lagnena and junior Anaiis Mitchell. Junior Landon Zaleski joins the starting lineup and senior Josiah Rodney should add another level to the Blue Waves’ playstyle.
Games against Whitman on Jan. 15 and Longwood on Jan. 26 should be good tests for the playoff hopeful.
7. Who is the team to beat in the NSCHSAA?
Chaminade looks fantastic, with standout senior Kyle Dillon surrounded by several playmakers in younger brother sophomore Lucas Dillon, not to mention senior Michael Wede and junior Diego Dersch.
But St. Dominic can never be counted out, not with senior Melo Mojeed leading the way after holding the No. 1 seed last winter. St. Mary’s has a new roster of exciting players, including returning starters in seniors Myles Herbert and Justin Mompoint, as well as Lawrence Woodmere Academy transfer Hank Williams, a junior.
That’s without even mentioning the team that won it all a year ago in St. Anthony’s or a talented dark horse in Holy Trinity. Get your popcorn ready.
8. Can Rocky Point build on its first playoff win in program history?
Cashmere Morrow and Max Wignall aren’t walking into the gym this winter for Rocky Point anymore, but the foundation the duo and eight other seniors built should still be intact for coach James Jordan. . Rocky Point will lean on its frontcourt of junior John Nadeau and senior Aiden Todaro, with senior Don Wilkinson providing noticeable athleticism as well.
9. Can Deer Park extend its playoff streak into a historic finish?
Suffolk’s Class AA is no easy path to a title, with teams such as Smithtown West, Half Hollow Hills East, Smithtown East, Northport and East Islip always figuring to compete. But Deer Park is as steady as it comes, having made the playoffs 16 years in a row with 10 league titles since 2011.
Yet a county title has eluded the Falcons' program. Talented players in seniors Damien Scott and Drew Delargy, and junior Nusanti Delbridge will look to change that.
10. Long Beach missed the playoffs in 2024-25 for the first time since 2017. Can the Marines prove it was an outlier?
There’s been a lot to like in Long Beach, even during last season as the program logged quality wins over Wantagh and South Side, and left December having won its second consecutive Bethpage Tournament.
Jamar Burns and Brody Scuh have graduated. But the team returns Zack Brymer, Jaron Burns and Vance Kanganis, with the former duo making up a solid backcourt.
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
